Ability khabarnama section features a roundup of the latest
health, medical, and world disability news focusing on
up-to-the-minute breaking news, video, audio and feature stories from around the globe. International news items and articles include updates on disability legislation and coming health and disability events, as well as medical research breakthroughs, and advances in the field of medicine, science, and cures for various disabilities.

Translate The Content in Your Local Language

Sunday, 30 October 2016

Members of the Physically Handicapped Persons
Association staged a protest against the government at Ambedkar Chowk
here today.

They also threatened to intensify their agitation against
the Punjab and Union governments if their demands were not met.
The association is demanding employment for educated
physically-handicapped persons. It has also accused the government of
turning a blind eye towards the welfare of the physically handicapped.

Raising slogans against the state government, the members alleged that
as the politicians made lofty promises of ensuring free education and
medical facilities to them to curb the problems of illiteracy and
poverty, their fundamental rights were also being taken away.
“Even after 64 years of gaining independence, politicians pay little
attention to the rights and demands of the physically handicapped
persons,” said Balwinder Singh, leader of the association.

The members also threatened that if the state government did not
announce favourable policies as per their needs and not drafted
according to their demands, they would be left with no option but to
launch an agitation against the government.
Adamant on their demands of opening 5,000 posts for the physically
challenged, employment as per their ability and qualifications and an
increase in pension amount up to Rs 3,000 per month of physically
challenged persons, the union members vowed to make the public aware of
how false promises were made to them during a panel meeting held with
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on June 18.

They further stated that there were about 12 lakh physically challenged
persons, out of whom 60 per cent have complete documents regarding their
disability but the government had failed to increase the amount of
their pension.
Balwinder said the government had been spending crores on its
advertisements but it had failed to increase the amount of our pension
despite the fact that many of handicaped persons were living
hand-to-mouth.
“We are demanding that the education and health facilities should be
provided free of cost to physically challenged and their children,” he
added.